1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a color image recording apparatus which is employed in a copy machine, a plotter, a printer and a facsimile machine and, more particularly to a color image recording apparatus which directly controls a flow of toner particles and records a color image on a recording medium with color toner particles.
2. Description of Related Art
There has been proposed, for example, an image recording apparatus disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,689,935. The image recording apparatus has an image recording unit which charges toner particles and forms a mist of the charged toner particles. The image recording unit generates an electric field between a control electrode having apertures through which the charged toner particles can pass and a back electrode, and records an image on a support member inserted between both the electrodes, by directly controlling the charged toner particles.
However, when the image is recorded using the above mentioned image recording apparatus, an image of only a single, predetermined color (monochromatic) is formed on a recording medium, because the image recording apparatus has only a single image recording unit which includes toner particles having the predetermined monochromatic color. Further, another problem occurs in that the apertures of the control electrode become clogged with the toner particles.